Evgeni Malkin had a decision to make in May, and the Penguins weren’t the only club in the picture. According to KHL Metallurg Director Alexei Zhloba, as relayed by Championnat’s Vladimir Lavesky, Metallurg hoped to bring the 40-year-old back for the upcoming season.
Malkin, of course, stayed in Pittsburgh on a new one-year contract. He put up 61 points in 56 games last season and earned a deal that included $5.5MM in guaranteed money plus another $3.5MM in performance bonuses.
Zhloba said he remains in contact with Malkin, so it sounds like Metallurg will keep trying to lure him home for the 2027-28 season, too. Malkin came up through Magnitogorsk’s program and also spent part of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign there.
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan, Rangers prospect center Cole Beaudoin is day-to-day after suffering an undisclosed injury in yesterday’s rookie tournament game, according to Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.
The 20-year-old was a first-round pick by Utah two years ago and came to New York as one of the main pieces in this summer’s Vincent Trocheck deal. Beaudoin still has an outside shot at forcing his way onto the Rangers’ roster in training camp, but any missed time makes that climb tougher.
If he opens the year in the minors, he’d be expected to play a major role with AHL Hartford in his first pro season after racking up 88 points in 54 games with OHL Barrie last year.
Islanders prospect winger Quinn Finley is also in rookie camp, but he hasn’t been cleared for contact yet as he works back from shoulder surgery, Andrew Gross of Newsday reported. Finley, 22, was a third-round pick in 2022 and is heading into his first professional season after three productive years at Wisconsin. He finished last season with 17 goals and 16 assists in 37 games for the Badgers, and he’s expected to begin the fall with AHL Hamilton.
In Other News...
Islanders Have One Leadership Decision Left After Bo Horvats Promotion
Bo Horvats promotion to captain has given the Islanders a more defined hierarchy, but it has also left one opening to sort through as the season approaches. With Horvat becoming the 16th captain in franchise history, the club now has a chance to choose an alternate who can help carry some of the day-to-day leadership load around a roster that is still shaping its identity.
Mat Barzal is one option, and his name naturally stands out because he has never worn a permanent letter before. Matthew Schaefer brings a different kind of intrigue after a Calder Trophy-winning season that suggested his voice carries well beyond his age, while Brayden Schenn adds veteran credibility to a room that values experience. However the Islanders decide to go, the last captaincy piece is less about ceremony than about who they trust to set the tone behind Horvat. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Sent A Big Message About Bo Horvat
The Islanders have made their latest leadership call around Bo Horvat, a player who arrived in 2023 and quickly became one of the most important figures in the room. Since joining the club, he has been an alternate captain and has set the pace offensively, while bringing the kind of experience that comes from a notable NHL career and time representing Canada on the international stage.
Now the organization is officially putting the weight of the crest on him in a bigger way, a sign of how quickly he has earned trust since landing on Long Island. For a team looking for steadiness and a clear voice, the move says plenty about where Horvat stands within the group, even if the full impact of the decision will play out only as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Are Counting On Tony DeAngelo To Deliver Even More
The Islanders made a clear commitment to Tony DeAngelo when they brought back the veteran defenseman on a two-year contract, and the early read from inside the room is that the fit makes sense for both sides. DeAngelo said the negotiation went well and sounded happy to be back, while captain Bo Horvat and coach Bruce DeBoer pointed to the same traits that have made him valuable before: moving the puck cleanly, jumping into the attack and helping give the blue line more punch.
For a team that wants more from its defense and its power play, DeAngelos role carries some real weight. The Islanders are counting on him not just to be steady, but to add offense and transition speed in ways that can change how the group plays when the puck is on his stick. Even after all the praise and the new contract, there is still a sense around him that the story of what he can bring here may not be finished. [Read more 🡒]